You probably have heard, tried, or imagined an elegant French cuisine dinner—the elegantly plating and exquisite flavors. You might have even thought of the famous escargot. The elegant dishes and escargot represent a tiny portion of French cuisine. In many of the regions outside of Ile-de-France enjoy food in rougher forms and often use ovens for casserole or pot dishes. These forms of food are especially prominent in the Eastern regions around the Grand-Est and the Alps. Especially in Alsace, which is the Grand-Est region, which is formerly part of Germany, German influence is heavy in Alsatian cuisine. Today I will take you through a picture guide of what to see and eat in Alsace. (Bonus! I will treat you some of my picture from skiing in the Alps).
The historical Alsace region is not only a great place to learn about World War II history but also great for the enjoyment of a cup of fine “wine chaud” and Choucroûte garnie. Strasbourg is a good base for exploring the Alsace food scene and the Alsace wine. Many of the wine selling happens in the villages around Strasbourg. The tasting was free in many, and they are very generous in letting you try as many as you want. This is more of an honest system; they are counting on you to come here to try with the intent of buying something. It’s not necessary that you have to buy the wine, but the sincerity is highly appreciated.
Three places I will recommend you visit while you are in Alsace: Strasbourg Christmas Market and old town, Colmar Christmas Market and old town, and Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg. The market in Strasbourg offers variety, while the market in Colmar has the delightful taste of the old Alsace little town. Colmar is only an hour’s drive away from Strasbourg, so try to hit up both if you can!
Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg is a Medival castle perched on a Buntsandstein cliff, which appears red in color. In fact, the outer wall of the entire castle is also red. Similar to the Neuschwanstein, the current Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg is a reconstruction done in the 19th century based on some historical sketches and lots of Romantic ideals. The key point of visiting this castle today is for you to view the Bas-Rhin region from the many high points around the castle.
Skiing in the Alpes
As you would imagine, skiing in the Alps is not cheap. We skied in La Toussuire, smaller ski resort but well equipped. Though 6 days of skiing cost quite a dent on the wallet. Though there are ways to try to save a bit. Avoid the après-ski food and drink outside is my number one saving tip. Pack your own sandwiches and make your own cheese fondue if you can. Try to shop for food at a supermarket down the mountain instead of at the resort. Number 2 is trying to shop for places to stay at least 6 months in advance. We were lucky to know someone who has a place at the resort. Though, I suspect this is not the case for most people. I asked around, generally speaking, 6 months to a year in advance is the best for booking lodging in the Alps. Lastly, on the equipment, 6 days of rental surmounted to 300 plus euros if my memory serves me correctly. Not too bad considering the alternatives. Unfortunately, for a beginner like me, there are not much savings here.
Every ski resort will try to do something for the new year. Ours had a concert and fireworks, but don’t expect firework every year. The fireworks do pose an avalanche risk. The year we went (Christmas 2018) was a particularly icy season. The resort felt that it was safe enough to do a firework display. Lucky us!
